The University of Sydney’s School of Rural Health has received a fresh cohort of 16 students.

They took an orientation tour of Orange Health Service before jumping straight into their first eight-week clinical placements in critical care, emergency, surgery, and medicine.

Students come to the school for one year of their post-graduate medical degrees and Taylor Beatty said he was thrilled with his decision to be one of them.

“I’ve lived in Manly all my life and this is a great opportunity for me to have an experience away from a city, as well as the convenience of not having to travel for two hours every day,” he said.

“I’m going to benefit from better access to senior teaching staff and an increased likelihood of a hands-on experience that comes with training in a country hospital.”

The school’s deputy head in Orange, Dr Catherine Hawke, was proud seven of this year’s interns at the hospital were former students.

“Our hope is that the students enjoy their time in Orange, gain a thorough understanding of the health challenges faced by rural people and decide to pursue a future career in rural Australia,” she said.